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Vol. XXXVI, No. 3 JANUARY, 1946 Serial No. 123 


Old-Time New England 


THE BULLETIN OF 
('@RaRy 
bo aang Che Society for the Preservation of 
sioeiaipeaas New England Antiquities 


(Alto robe pae 











mill 





Exterior, Jewish Spnagoque, Newport, R. F. 


FROM A PHOTOGRAPH MADE IN 1895. 


THREE DOLLARS PER ANNUM—SINGLE COPY, SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS 


PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT THE 


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RNew England Antiquities 


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ARTHUR B. LISLE, President 
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1945-1948 


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aca papa 











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To the Members of 
The Society for the Preservation of 
New England Antiquities 


Oxup-Time New ENGLAND, the quarterly magazine published by the 
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Name and address of Member. 














January, 1946 Contents VoL. XXXVI, No. 3 





INTERIOR OF THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, NEWPorRT, RHODE 
IsLAND, PETER HARRISON, ARCHITECT . . Frontispiece 


vO 


THE JEWIsH SYNAGOGUE, NEwport, RHODE IsLAND 
. Lee M. Friedman 49 


GiGi ar 


PETER Harrison, A GREAT COLONIAL ARCHITECT . . 
> * «+ « * ©» = « se ie «6 


tli Lay 


JOHN SMIBERT, ARTIST, AND THE Firsr FANEUIL HALL 
ere ee ee eee ll 


AA he 


REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN, THE LATE CAPTAIN [THOMAS 
G. FROTHINGHAM, FOR THE YEAR, MARCH I, 1944 
TO MarcH 1, 1945. — 
SE ee ee ee 


PLP ta 


REPORT OF THE DirRECTOR OF THE Museum, Mr. 
ARTHUR W. JOHNSON, FOR THE YEAR ENDING FEB- 
a ae ae ee ee ee ee a ee ee es 


PLP tdP > 
Auprron’s CRBRTIFICATE. . .-+ «ee 6 « « « 68 


PtP tl? > 


REPORT OF THE TREASURER, Mr. CARLETON R. RICH- 
MOND, FOR THE YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28,1945 . 69 





Entered as second-class matter September 19, 1920, at the Post Office at Boston, Massa- 
chusetts, under the Act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of 


postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized April 1, 1924. 











wie 














Interior of the Jewish Srnagoque, Newport, R. J. 


BUILT 1759-1763, PETER HARRISON, ARCHITECT. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH MADI 


IN 


sessvvereeteeeeee*e F * 
. 


1930. 











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Old-Time New England 


THE BULLETIN OF 
The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities 


A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE 
DEVOTED TO THE ANCIENT BUILDINGS, HOUSEHOLD FURNISHINGS, 
DOMESTIC ARTS, MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, AND MINOR 
ANTIQUITIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND PEOPLE 





Volume XXXVI 


JANUARY, 1946 


Number 3 





The Newport Synagogue ' 


By Lee M. FRIEDMAN 


N 1758 Jews had been settled in New- 
port, Rhode Island, for a hundred 
years. Heretofore they had congre- 
gated in a home of some member of the 
community, to hold religious services, 
even though they had no rabbi to lead 
them, for they were devoutly religious 
and strictly observed the rites and cere- 
monies of their traditional faith. Now that 
they were celebrating the centenary of 
their coming to this first American colony 
dedicated to religious liberty, perhaps the 
thought occurred to them that no more 
fitting memorial could mark the occasion 
than to build a house of worship. At any 
rate, in that year they purchased, for fif- 
teen hundred pounds (old tenor), from 
Ebenezer Allen and his wife, Sarah, of 
1 This article is based upon the following sources: 
Bulletin of The Society for the Preservation of 


New England Antiquities, Vol. VI, No. 2, Bos- 
ton 1916. 

Peter Harrison Architect—Charles H. Hart, 
Massachusetts Historical Society Proceedings, 
Vol. VLIX, p. 261-268, 1916. 

The Colonial Amateurs and Their Works—Peter 
Harrison, Fiske Kimball—Architecture. Vol. 
LIII, pp. 155-160; Vol. LIV, pp. 185-190, 209. 
The Story of the Jews of Newport, Morris A. 
Gutstein, N. Y. 1936. 

Publications of the American Jewish Publication 
Society. 

Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro—Morris A. Gut- 
stein, N. Y., 1939. 


Barnstable, Massachusetts, a lot of land 
on the then outskirts of the town, on Grif- 
fin Street, described as follows: 


“One Certain Small parcel or lot of land Situate 
Lying and Being in the Township of Newport 
aforesaid, containing per Estimation Ninety 
two feet in Front or Breadth and One hundred 
and six feet in Length or Depth the same Being 
Butted and Bounded as follows (viz) Southerly 
on a Street called Griffin Street, Westerly on 
Land of Jacob Barney, Northerly on a Street 
remaining yet to be laid out and Easterly on 
Land now in the possession and improvement 
of Matthew Cozzens, be the same more or less 
within the said Bounds.” 


A deed was then prepared and the con- 
veyance dated June 13, 1759, ran to 
Jacob Rodrigues Rivera, Moses Levy and 
Isaac Hart, described as “‘merchants,”’* 

Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles—F. B. Dexter, 

N. Y., 1901. 


A Newport Ledger 1760-1770—Morris A. Gut- 
stein (in manuscript). 


2 Isaac Hart afterwards conveyed his interest in 
the land to Rivera. Rivera, in his will (January 9, 
1787) provided: 

‘I do hereby release and discharge all such 
balances as shall at the time of my decease be 
due and unpaid of monies by me heretofore 
advanced towards building the Synagogue in 
Newport on condition that there shall be a 
Solemn Prayer said for me in the said Syna- 
gogue yearly and every year on the evening or 
day of Kipur or Atonement.” 

Records Probate Court, R. I., Vol. II, p. 98. 


+9 








we Old-Time New England 





and they proceeded with plans to erect a 
synagogue. It was indeed fortunate that 
two (Jacob Rodrigues Rivera and Isaac 
Hart) of these three men had been ac- 
tively interested in the establishment of 
Newport’s Redwood Library and through 
the building of that gem of Classic Coloni- 
al, had been brought into contact with 
Peter Harrison. It was to that gifted mas- 
ter that they turned for plans for their 
synagogue. Like Thomas Jefferson, Peter 
Harrison, an Englishman who was then 
living in Newport, had a natural flair for 
symmetry and beauty in building, and as 
a gifted amateur was an enthusiastic prac- 
titioner in architecture. He has been called 
the most gifted designer of buildings in 
the American colonies during the middle 
vears of the eighteenth century. Asa labor 
of love, he turned to the task committed 
to his care, giving his services gratuitously, 

Like all church building, the next and 
most pressing business was to provide 
funds. Naturally, they turned to friends 
and relatives in New York, where Sherith 
Israel was already the outstanding Jew- 
ish Congregation in America. To them 
they addressed the following appeal: 


“NEWPORT R. I. Adar 22d 5519 


Mare > —— 
ene. (March 21, 1759) 


The Pious Intentions of a Congregation yet 
in its Infancy, we desire may plead a sufficient 
excuse, for this Address; sincerely desirous to 
establish a regular Congregation in this Town 
we therefore, have Lately purchased a suitable 
Lot of Land, whereupon we design to Build a 
Sinaguogue; & for furthering our said Inten- 
tions, we have Likewise by Subscription raised 
a small Fund, wherewith to Begin, and carry on 
the Work and which in due Time, we hope to 
see fully compleated. At present finding our 
Abilities not equal to our wishes, for finishing 
the Work, in so short a Time as we desire, we 
have resolved to crave the Assistance of the sev- 
eral Congregations in America, and as the Feast 
of the Passover is near at Hand, a Time when 
there will be the greatest appearance of our 


Brethen at New York; we embrace this oppor- 
tunity to acquaint you with our proceedings, 
and Intentions, relative thereto; Intreating you 
to communicate the same, to the Congregation, 
at New York, & to supplicate for us, their chari- 
table assistance, towards carrying on this work; 
either by a Freewill Offering in the Sinagogue ; 
or Subscription, or in any way which may be 
agreeable to you. 

When we reflect on how much it is our Duty, 
to Instruct Children, in the Path of Vertuous 
Religion; & how unhappy the portions must be, 
of those Children, and their Parents, who are 
thro necessity, educated in a place where they 
must remain almost Totally uninstructed, in 
our most Holy & Divine Law, our Rites & Cere- 
monies; & from which place, they may perhaps 
never have it in their power to depart; when 
we farther reflect on how much it is our Duty to 
assist the Distressed; & when we consider the ex- 
tensive Usefullness of a Charity, like this for 
which we now supplicate assistance; we can en- 
tertain no Doubt of your Zeal, to promote this 
vood Work. 

That God Almighty will be pleased to direct 
vour Councils, prosper your Vertuous Actions, 
and Intentions, give us Peace, and very soon 
send the Redeemer to Zion, is and shall be the 
Devout Prayer of 

Gent. 

Your obedient & very hume Servts 
ABM R°® REVEIRA 
IsAAc POLOCK 
Moses Lopez 
IsAAC ELIZER 
MosrEs LEvy 
To the Gent. the Parnassim of the K. K. Seherit 
Israel, in New York.” 


Jacos Rops RIvERA 
Jacos ISsAACKs 

I Hart 

AARON LOPEZ 


The response was prompt: 
“Gent”, 

Conformable to your desire a Nedaba (offer- 
ing) was made in our Synagogue the Seventh 
dav of Pesach (Passover) when a contribution 
of £149 :6° was offered towards building at 
New Port a place of worship to Almighty God. 
your pious design was a sufficient inducement 
to promote the Success of your request, we 
heartily wish our mite may enable you to go on 
with the Holy building and that you maybe a 
Religious & prosperous Congregation. 


We must now desire you will send orders for 
the money. 





ae. 














The Newport Synagogue 51 

















Pha ate ee 
ead ~ 
Sie? ae k a 


ae al 


** 


PELL TAM. |) 
a ae —S 


OW 


4 _ nr 
; a nae : | 


—— «eee 





Exterior, Jewish Synagogue, Newport, ®. J. 


FROM A PHOTOGRAPH MADE IN 13895. 


We sincerely wish you success in all your 
Laudable undertakings, and that our God may 
graciously enable his People to do Mitsvoth 
(meritorious action) is the unfeign’d prayer of 

Gent®” 


‘This was gratefully acknowledged: 


“NEWPORT SIVAN 2° ss19— 


. (Niav 28, 17<« 
Gent". » 1759) 


It affords us great satisfaction to find by 
your letter of the 34 Day of Iyar (May-June) 
that our design for Building a publick place of 
Worship to God Almighty has not only met 
with approbation but hath Likewise been Zeal- 
ously supported by our Brethen at New York 
as appears by the generous Freewill offerings 
made for that purpose in your Synagogue on 
the 7th Day of Pesach (Passover) last— 

It is our Inclination & we are truly sensible 


it is our Duty to return the Congregation at 
New York our most sincere & publick Thanks 
for this Instance of their Generous Benevolence 
towards us and we Intreat You Gentlemen to 
do this good office on our Behalf in such man- 
ner place & Time as shall seem to you most 
agreeable. 

Your Hearty Wishes for the prosperity of 
Our Congregation and your sincere wishes for 
our Success contribute greatly to Incite in us an 
Ardent desire to compleat the Work which we 
have now undertaken— 

We Intreat you to remit the Monies which 
you have Collected for this Use to the Care of 
Mess’. Jacob Rod’. Rivera Moses Levy & Isaac 
Hart in Gold either in Moidors or Johannes’s, 
Moidors will be most advantageous. 

We Devoutly join with you in Prayer “That 
Our God may Graciously enable his People to 
do Mitsvoth (meritorious action ), and are with 








52 Old-Time New England 





Unfeigned Thanks to Yourselves & the Con- 
gregation at New York 
Gent". 
Your most Obedient Humble Serv". 


ABM RS REVEIRA 
IsAAC POLOCK 
AARON LOPEZ 
Moses LEvy 

Jacos IsAACKsS 
IsAAC ELIZER 
Moses Lopez 

I HART 

Jacos Rop* RIVERA 
IssACHAR POLOCK” 


Naphtaly Hart, one of the congregation, 
shortly afterwards being in New York, 
received the money and gave his receipt. 


“New York July 13 1759” 

Rece?. of Myer Myers One Hundred and Forty 
nine Pounds & Six pence which at my arrival at 
Newport Rhode Island I promise to deliver to 
Mess's, Jacob Rivera, Moses Levy & Isaac Hart 
trustees for building the Synagogue. 

£149.0.6 NapH Harr” 
Other appeals sent to fellow Jews in Ja- 
maica, Curacao, Surinam and London 
met with helpful responses. So on August 
I, 1759, they broke ground by laying six 
corner stones that the honors might be 
shared by six of its leading eager and en- 
thusiastic subscribers, Aaron Lopez, Jacob 
Rodrigues Rivera, Naphtali bar Moshe, 
Isaac bar Eliezer, Isaac bar Moshe and 
Naphtali bar Isaac. In the meantime, they 
had sent abroad for bricks and 196,715 
arrived and were paid for August 25, 
1760, and the building proceeded apace. 
The Reverend Andrew Burnbay, an Eng- 
lish divine travelling through “‘the Mid- 
dle Settlements in North America”’ pass- 
ing through Newport at this period, saw 
the building going on and wrote, “It will 
be extremely elegant within when com- 
pleted, but the outside is totally spoilt by 
a school which the Jews would have an- 


“Jan. 13, 1761, To stock 


nexed to it for the education of their chil- 
dren.” 

My friend Rabbi Morris A. Gutstein 
has unearthed in the archives of the New- 
port Historical Society an account book 
of the firm of Naphtaly Hart & Company, 
who evidently acted as treasurer or finan- 
cial agents for the congregation during 
the building. Unfortunately the book is 
incomplete, but the page showing dis- 
bursement is preserved. ‘This shows: 


1045) 
Jan. 21,1761, To Ebenz. Stetson 1126,, 
Jan. 26, 1761, To Robert Carr 1775515 


Feb. 5, 1761, To William Broughton 
Feb. 16, 1761, To Benjamin Sheldon 


Feb. 24,1761, To Joseph Hammond, Jr. 305,)4559 


June 22, 1761,To Cash 


Jan. 12, 1762, To Yates & Cahoon 340553 


Apr. 22, 1762, To Thomas Johnson, Jr. 2940,,3,,4 


6155979 


SE St4o 


July 8,1762, To Robert Carr 
Jan. 10, 1763, To Daniel Dunham 


May 24, 1763, To Robert Carr 


3 
June 8, 1763, To Cahoone & Yates 955 
Dec. 30, 1763, To Jonathan Jeffers 18,, 


6256,,18,,7 


Lawful Money 
268,53 551 


6256,,18,,7 old tenor is equal to 


1764 

April 19 To Lumber aj 736 594 

May 29 To John Fryers 3 15,165,101 
Oct. 24 To Charles Dyre 31 45) 85,82 
Nov. 21 To William Lee 35 Bel Oo 
1765 

Feb. 6 To Samuel Burroughs Sides (8 
May 7 ‘ToCahoone & Yates 51 10,, 25, 32 
July 10 To William Giles 59 305,19,,112” 
Joseph Hammond was a Carpenter, 


Thomas Johnson a Blockmaker, Daniel 
Dunham a Chairmaker, Jonathan Jef- 
fers a Glazier, John Fryer a Carpenter, 
Yates and Cahoon Painters, and Samuel 
Burrough was a Carpenter. 


17591 O55 


2705,105, 


7 994996 





a 


-- 








a- 


e- 








The Newport Synagogue 53 





As always happens, funds ran short and 
the congregation had again to appeal for 
help to their New York brethren: 

— “Newport 5“ April 1761. 

It is a matter of much Concern to the Con- 
eregation in this Town among whom I have 
the Honor to preside as Parnass (President) for 
the Current year that they are Necessitated 
again to Supplicate the Charitable assistance of 
your Congregation who have already Chear- 
fully & Generously Contributed towards fin- 
ishing our Synagogue—Greatly disappointed 
in their Expectations from the Charity of other 
Congregations and the Cost of Building Rising 
to much more than it was Conceiv’d it would 
they now find themselves (unless in some way 
assisted by Other Congregations) unable to 
Compleat the Building—I do therefore by their 
Request intreat your rood othces to Obtain the 
farther assistance of your Congregation towards 
compleating the Same, either by a free will 
offering to be made in your Synagogue which 





to them Seems the most unexceptionable way 
or in any other method w™ you shall judge the 
most agreable to Obtain the good purposes In- 
tended—the Congregation here Confidantly 
Relying on your Good Endeavours and the Zeal 
of your Congregation to promote so Charitable 
& useful an undertaking have no doubt but in 
due time I shall Receive your favourable An- 
swer hereunto— 

Wishing you and Each of your Congregation 
Length of Days with much Felicity, I have the 
Honor Gentlemen to Subscribe 

Your Obedient Servant 
NAPH Hart” 


‘The work went on apace and they con- 
tinued to solicit friends for furniture and 
ornaments such as the following: 


“Mess's Joseph Simson 
& Samuel Judah 


Gent!, / 

As we have now contracted with Workmen, 
who are actually at Work, to compleat the 
Hechal (the ark, or recess, in the synagogue 
in which the Holy Scrolls of the Law are kept), 
Tebah (the reading platform in synagogue), 
& Benches of our Synagogue, are in great hopes 
same will be furnished by Rosasanah (Rosh ha- 
Shana—or New Year): We are getting ready 


NEWPorT July 25" 1762. 


such furniture & Utensills as are needfull, for 
which reason our Mahamad (the ‘standing 
committee’ or body of trustees) desires me to 
address this to you, Gentlemen, that you will be 
so kind as to make enquiry, who made any of- 
ferings of Furniture & Ornaments towards this 
pious undertaking, to receive & forward the 
same to us with convenient speed; that it may 
be here ready against the Time of Consecrating 
the holy Fabrick. 

The gratefull sence we have of the Liberal as- 
sistance of your K.K. will put us in mind, of 
giving timely notice of the Dedication Day, 
that those Gentlemen who please to favor us 
with their Company may not be disappointed. 
Underneath I note what offerings came to our 
notice, if there be any more we leave to your 
enquiry, not doubting your Zeal in so Laud- 
able cause. 

You will always find in me a ready com- 
plyance to whatever Services I can render you, 
either in my publick or private capacity; wish- 
ing you health & prosperity I conclude respect- 
fully Gen!. / 

Your very hum. Servt. 
Moses LOPEZ 

Parnas 
(President )” 


This produced, “a Tamid” (“Con- 
tinual,”’ the perpetual Lamp burning in 
front of the Ark in the Synagogue) from 
Mr. Samuel Judah, some candlesticks for 
the “‘Hechall” (the ark, or recess, in the 
synagogue in which the Holy Scrolls of 
the Law are kept) and the ““Tebah”’ (the 
reading platform in synagogue ) from Mr. 
Samuel Hart, 100 lb. Wax from Mr. 
Haym Meyers. 

In the meantime, in 1759, the Rever- 
end Isaac de Abraham Touro, educated 
as a Rabbi in the famous Academies of 
Europe, came to settle in Newport and 
became the hazan (a reader of the prayers 
who conducts the service) of the Con- 
gregation, 

At last, December 2, 1763, the day 
arrived to dedicate the synagogue. The 
Reverend Ezra Stiles, destined to become 
Yale’s third president, then the settled 











54 Old-Time New England 





Congregational minister at Newport, re- 
cords the events of that great occasion as 
he for the first time saw the new build- 


ing: 


“In the Afternoon was the dedication of the 
new Synagogue in this Town. It began by a 
handsome procession in which were carried the 
Books of the Law, to be deposited in the Ark. 
Several Portions of Scripture, & of their Service 
with a Prayer for the Royal Family, were read 
and finely sung by the priest & People. There 
were present many Gentlemen & Ladies. The 
Order and Decorum, the Harmony & Solemnity 
of the Musick, together with a handsome As- 
sembly of People, in a Edifice the most perfect 
of the Temple kind perhaps in America, & 
splendidly illuminated, could not but raise in 
the Mind a faint Idea of the Majesty & 
Grandeur of the Ancient Jewish Worship men- 
tioned in Scripture. 

‘Dr. Isaac de Abraham Touro performed the 
Service. The Synagogue is about perhaps fourty 
foot long & 30 wide, of Brick on a Foundation 
of free Stone; it was begun about two years 
ago, & is now finished except the Porch & the 
Capitals of the Pillars. The Front representa- 
tion of the holy of holies, or its Partition Veil, 
consists only of wainscotted Breast Work on the 
East End, in the lower part of which four long 
Doors cover an upright Square Closet the 
depth of which is about a foot or the thickness 
of the Wall, & in this Apartment (vulgarly 
called the Ark) were deposited three Copies & 
Rolls of Pentateuch, written on Vellum or 
rather tanned Calf Skin; one of these Rolls I 
was told by Dr. Touro was presented from 
Amsterdam & is Two Hundred years old, the 
Letters have the Rabbinical Flourishes. 

‘A Gallery for the Women runs round the 
whole Inside, except the East End, supported 
by Columns of Ionic order, over which are 
placed correspondent Columns of the Corinth- 
ian order supporting the Ceiling of the Roof. 
The Depth of the Corinthian Pedestal is the 
height of the Balustrade which runs round the 
Gallery. The Pulpit for Reading the Law, is a 
raised Pew with an extended front table; this 
placed about the center of the Synagogue or 
nearer the West End, being a Square embalus- 

3 There is also an account of the dedication in the 
Newport Mercury of December 5, 1763. 


4 Professor Hitchcock has written me, “‘I am afraid 


traded Comporting with the Length of the In- 
dented Chancel before & at the Foot of the Ark. 

‘On the middle of the North Side & Affixed 
to the Wall is a raised Seat for the Parnas or 
Ruler, & for the Elders; the Breast and Back 
interlaid with Chinese Mosaic Work. A Wains- 
cotted Seat runs around Side of the Synagogue 
below, & another in the Gallery. There are no 
other Seats or pews. There may be Eighty 
Souls of Jews or 15 families now in Town. The 
Synagogue has already cost Fifteen Hundred 
Pounds Sterling. There are to be five Lamps 
pendant from a lofty Ceiling”. * 


Experts have been able to trace the 
architectural books which Harrison used 
from which he copied details and de- 
signs for the building. Professor Henry 
Russell Hitchcock, of Wesleyan Univer- 
sity, describes the architecture, “upon an 
interior of the type of the Amsterdam 
synagogues’ of the previous century Har- 
rison lavished the resources of English 
Palladian design, copying the galleries 
from Jones’ Whitehall banqueting hall, 
other details from Gibbs, and the Ark of 
the Covenant from Langley & Kent.” I 
know of no picture or book of the Am- 
sterdam synagogue then published ac- 
cessible to Harrison. I rather surmise that 
the interior was not a copy of any one 
synagogue, but rather followed a tradi- 
tional type commonly in use, with varia- 
tions, at that period amongst Jews, equal- 
ly made use of in the synagogues of Lon- 
don, Bevis Marks (1701), Dukes Place 
(1722), as in those of Amsterdam. Pos- 
sibly Harrison had seen these London 
synagogues. 

In 1733 there was published in Lon- 
translation of Bernard Picart’s 
The Ceremonies and Religious Customs 
of the Various Nations, the first volume 
of which contained a plate ““The Dedica- 


don a 


that my suggestion about the relation between the 
Newport Synagogue and the synagogues of Amster- 
dam, by which I mean particularly the Portuguese 
Synagogue, has no proper foundation.” 














The Newport Spnagoque 55 





tion of the Portuguese Jews Sinagogue at 
Amsterdam.” This was an interior view 
of the Amsterdam synagogue, but it was 
not very similar to that of Harrison’s 
Newport structure. The feature they had 
in common was Palladian windows. 
Even though Harrison had access to this, 
it could hardly have given him the in- 
spiration for his design. 

There were, in addition, at least four 
published works’ which contained plans 
or reproductions of the Amsterdam syna- 
gogue extant in 1760. It is mere specula- 
tion to hazard a guess that Harrison may 
have seen any of these. Whether the de- 
sign made use of by Harrison was a copy 
or created by him from descriptions fur- 
nished by its members, the mark of his 
genius gave to it that touch of distinction 
and beauty which makes of it one of 
America’s outstanding landmarks of Co- 
lonial architecture. 

In an article in the American Hebrew 
(April 11, 1919), Albert S. Gottlieb, a 
distinguished Jewish snebilines. points out 
that the Newport synagogue “has not a 
trace of the religion of the occupants.” 
Still, it merits the praise of Professor 
Hitchcock that “‘as a characteristic work 
of the international Academic reaction of 
the mid-eighteenth century in a rather 
unusual field it would be of unique dis- 
tinction in any country in the world.” He 
pronounces Temple Jeshuath Israel “al- 

5 Professor Alexander Marx of The Jewish Theo- 
logical Seminary of America has these four: 

Johannes de Ram 

Peter Schenk 


Daniel Stoopendall 
John Veenhuisen 


There is a letter ext: - in the archives of the New- 
wine Historical Society “Commerce of Rhode Is- 
land.” Boston 1915, Vol. iT. p. 109) in which Moses 
Seixas writes (October 5, 17 $5) how were it not for 
the interference of the Reverend Ezra Stiles at this 
period, the Congregationalists would have had the 
use of the synagogue when their own Church was still 
in a state of disrepair: 


“Mr. Channing again applied for the use of the 
Synagogue. I availed myself of the impropriety 


together Harrison’s masterpiece.” “Today 
the main entrance does not face the street 
and the building does not align itself with 
the sidewalk and streets in the vicinity. It 
is suggested that the general direction of 
Touro Street, in the course of years, has 
been changed. The street entrance is 
through a small stone gateway erected 
by Abraham Touro, flanked by two pil- 
lars supposedly copied from the Temple 
of King Solomon. 

With the capture of Newport by the 
British in 1776 the great days of the syna- 
gogue were over. On the whole, the 
Newport Jews were ardently patriotic in 
the Revolutionary cause, so that those 
who were not enlisted actively in the pa- 
triotic cause fled the approach of the ene- 

y. Many never returned to Newport 
and that city never again regained its im- 
portance as a seaport and commercial 
center. 

During the British occupancy, the 
synagogue had been closed. After the 
evacuation, the buildings of the town 
were so damaged that it is said that the 
General Assembly of Rhode Island made 
use of the synagogue for a time as its 
meeting place. In 1781 it was used for a 
Town Meeting.° 

At the close of the eighteenth century 
the congregation had so fallen away that 
services ceased. In his recollections of 
Newport, Channing described this sad 

of letting him having it, whilst I had not Mr. 

Rivera and your sense on the occasion and 

which had been requested by his and Mr. Mer- 

chants desire. Since then Doct’r Stiles is come 
here on a Visit, and I made it my business to 
converse with him on the matter, he express’d 
much concern and amazement at the application, 
assur’d me it wou’d not have been made had he 
been here, that he was well convinc’d we cou’d 
not acceed to it, without violating our religious 
principles, and that all that lay in his power 

shou’ d be done to remove any unfavorable im- 

pressions that a refusal might create amongst 

his congregation, and on the whole express’d a 

very friendly feeling for us. notwithstanding 

all which I think it highly necessary that both 


you and Mr. Rivera furnish me with your 
Opinion respecting the matter.” 








56 @ld-Time New England 





situation: “Gradually these impressive 
services subsided, and finally died out; 
and then the building was left to the bats 
and moles, and to the occasional inva- 
sion, through its porches and windows, of 
boys who took great pleasure in examin- 
ing the furniture scattered about.” 

Stull, there were those who loved this 
noble edifice and when the two sons of 
Rabbi Touro died, Abraham (1822) and 
Judah (1854), each left liberal provi- 
sions in his will for the care and preserva- 
tion of the synagogue and the surround- 
ing cemetery. In addition, Abraham had 
left $10,000 to the state of Rhode Island 
‘for the purpose of supporting the Jew- 
ish synagogue in that state, in special trust, 
to be appropriated to that object in such 
manner as the said legislature, together 
with the municipal authority of the Town 
of Newport, may from time to time direct 
and appoint.” While another fund of 
$10,000 under the will of Judah Touro 
was given to the city of Newport “for the 
purpose of paying the salary of a reader or 
minister to officiate in the Jewish syna- 
gogue of Newport, Rhode Island, and to 
endow the ministry of the same, as well 
as to keep in repair and embellish the 
Jewish cemetery in Newport aforesaid.” 
The legislature of Rhode Island, by ap- 
propriate statutes,‘ enacted such laws that 
today, perhaps, the state of Rhode Island 
and the city of Newport are the only 
state and city in the United States which 
run a Jewish synagogue. 

With the coming of the later immi- 
gration, Jews again came to Newport 
and today, in the old synagogue, the an- 
cient and traditional services still resound 
in this inspiring temple of faith. 

It was this congregation which, upon 
the occasion of Washington’s visit to 


7 General Laws of Rhode Island, 1923, Chapters 
110 and 111, also Public Laws of 1928, Chapter 1149, 
Public Laws 1929, Chapter 4. 


Newport, presented to him an address: 


“To the President of the United States of 
America 
—-: 

“Permit the children of the stock of Abraham 
to approach you with the most cordial affection 
and esteem for your person and merits, and to 
join with our fellow citizens in welcoming 
you to Newport. 

“With pleasure we reflect on those days, those 
days of difhculty and danger, when the God of 
Israel, who delivered David from the peril of 
the sword—shielded your head in the day of 
battle—and we rejoice to think that the same 
Spirit who rested in the bosom of the greatly 
beloved Daniel, enabling him to preside over 
the provinces of the Babylonish Empire, rests, 
and ever will rest, upon you, enabling you to 
discharge the arduous duties of Chief Magis- 
trate in these states. 

“Deprived as we heretofore have been of the 
invaluable rights of free citizens, we now (with 
a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty Dis- 
penser of all Events) behold a Government 
erected by the majesty of the people, a Govern- 
ment which gives to bigotry no sanction to per- 
secution no assistance ; but generously affording 
to all liberty of conscience and immunities of 
citizenship, deeming everyone, of whatever na- 
tion, tongue, or language, equal parts of the 
great Government machine. This so ample and 
extensive Federal Union whose basis philan- 
thropy, mutual confidence and public virtue, 
we cannot but acknowledge to be the work of 
the Great God who ruleth in the armies of Hea- 
ven and among the inhabitants of the earth, do- 
ing whatever seemeth Him good. 

“For all these blessings of civil and religious 
liberty, which we enjoy under an equal benign 
administration, we desire to send up our thanks 
to the ancient of days, the Great Preserver of 
Man, beseeching Him that the Angel who con- 
ducted our forefathers through the wilderness 
into the promised land, may graciously conduct 
you through all the difficulties and dangers of 
this mortal ‘life, and when, like Joshua, full of 
days and full of honor, you are gathered to your 
fathers may you be admitted into the Heavenly 
Paradise to partake of the water of life and 
the tree of immortality. 

“Done and signed by the order of the He- 
brew congregation in Newport, R. L, August 
17, 1790. Moses SEIXAS, 

Warden” 

















The Newport Synagogue 57 





‘To this Washingten responded in a letter 

preserved in the synagogue archiyes: 

“To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, 
Rhode Island. 

“Gentlemen. 

“While I receive, with much satisfaction, 
your Address replete with expressions of affec- 
tion and esteem, I rejoice in the opportunity of 
assuring you, that I shall always retain a grate- 
ful remembrance of the cordial welcome I ex- 
perienced in my visit to Newport, from all class- 
es of Citizens. 

“The reflection on the days of difhculty and 
danger which are past is rendered the more 
sweet from a consciousness that they are suc- 
ceeded by days of uncommon prosperity and 
security. If we have wisdom to make the best 
use of the advantages with which we are now 
favored, we cannot fail, under the just admin- 
istration of a good Government, to become a 
reat and a happy people. 

“The Citizens of the United States of Ameri- 
ca have a right to applaud themselves for hav- 
ing given to mankind examples of an enlarged 
and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imita- 


VES 


’ 

cin 
as 

ee Bhs 
ii 
i : 


wa! 





tion. All possess alike liberty of conscience and 
immunities of citizenship. It is now no more 
that toleration is spoken of as if it was by the 
indulgence of one class of people that another 
enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural 
rights. For happily the Government of the 
United States, which gives to bigotry no sanc- 
tion, to persecution no assistance, requires only 
that they who live under its protection, should 
demean themselves as good citizens, in giving 
it on all occasions their effectual support. 

“It would be inconsistent with the frankness 
of my character not to avow that I am pleased 
with your favorable opinion of my Administra- 
tion, and fervent wishes for my felicity. May 
the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who 
dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy 
the good will of the other Inhabitants, while 
every one shall sit in safety under his own Vine 
and Figtree, and there shall be none to make 
him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter 
light and not darkness in our paths, and make 
us all in our several vocations useful here, and 
in his own due time and way everlastingly 
happy. , rons ; 

Go. Washington” 





Peter Harrison, a Great Colonial Architect* 


By JoHN WILLIAMs HALEy 


Y the year 1729, Newport, Rhode 
Island, already a flourishing and 
prosperous seaport, was adding 

yearly to its material riches. ‘Thus, when 
George Berkeley, Dean of Derry and 
later Bishop of Cloyne, brought his ideal- 
istic philosophy to Newport in that year, 
he found a ready response to his ideas and 
inaugurated what has been termed the 

“Golden Age” of Newport, while worthy 
successors in all fields upheld the intellec- 
tual and artistic standards he had initiated. 
As patrons of art and architecture there 
were Henry Collins, and Abraham Red- 
wood after whose family the well-known 
library was named; as painters there were 
John Smibert (who came with Berkeley 
but shortly drifted up to Boston, where he 
remained to paint, and designed the first 
Faneuil Hall in 1742). Robert Feke, 
Samuel King, Cosmo Alexander, and 
Gilbert Stuart; as men of letters and 
theology there were James Honyman, 
Isaac ‘Touro, Samuel Hopkins, Ezra 
Stiles, John Comer, John Callendar and 
Nathaniel Clap; as men of science, there 
were Dr. Thomas Moffatt, Dr. ‘Thomas 
Brett (a graduate of Leyden), and Dr. 
William Hunter, and finally, as archi- 
tects, there were Richard Munday and 
Peter Harrison. It is of the last two, the 
architects, of which this brief survey 1s 
made. 

Richard Munday was a predecessor of 
Peter Harrison and a worthy one in every 
respect. Before Peter Harrison had even 
thought of coming to America, Munday 
has designed beautiful Trinity Church, 
and had just finished with the Colony or 
State House when Harrison arrived. Both 
of these structures reflect the touch of a 


* Reprinted, by permission, from “The Old 


Stone Bank” History of Rhode Island, Vol. I. 


master in their perfect proportions. Trin- 
ity Church was hailed as the finest ex- 
ample of ecclesiastical architecture in 
Rhode Island until 1775, the year in 
which the First Baptist Church in Provi- 
dence was erected. The Colony House 
was by far the finest building of its kind 
in all the Colonies. ‘These, then, were the 
exceptional public buildings which Peter 
Harrison found already standing in New- 
port. He was to add three more of equal- 
ly fine lines and proportions, of which one 
was to be called by many the best single 
example of colonial art in the country. 

There is practically no information 
about the early life of Peter Harrison. He 
was born in 1716, the son of one ‘Thomas 
Harrison of Grimston, Yorkshire. How- 
ever, the name, Harrison, was as common 
in Yorkshire as Smith now is in America, 
and in the county there were no less than 
five towns named Grimston. We do 
know, however, that his mother was 
Elizabeth Dennison, a descendant of the 
great house of Roxburghe, and the old 
Connecticut Journal commended his line- 
age by stating that “in point of family (he 
was) second perhaps to very few in 
America.”’ Peter, himself, later married 
Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Pelham, 
Jr., of Newport, then the owner of the 
Old Stone Mill and “of the same family 
as the late Duke of Newcastle.’ 

‘Tradition has it that Peter Harrison re- 
ceived a portion of his architectural train- 
ing by working under Sir John Vanbrugh 
on the plans for Blenheim House, but, as 
a matter of fact, it was more probably his 
brother (who was also an architect). 
Why Peter Harrison decided to leave the 
Old World and come to America is a 
Published by the Providence Institution for 
Savings, 1931. 


58 

















Peter Barrison 59 





mystery, but, in 1740, he appeared in 
Rhode Island as “‘a passenger with Cap- 
tain Patterson.”’ With him came his 
brother, Joseph. It is probable that these 
two came to the Colony as surveyors or 
draughtsmen, hoping to find plenty of 
work in settling boundary disputes. Peter 
gained his first recognition in that capac- 
ity by drawing up a plan of Cape Breton 
which facilitated its capture in 1745. 
Later, aided by his brother, Joseph, he 
made “a handsome draught of Fort 
George and the harbor of Newport.” 
With this piece of work the General As- 
sembly was so pleased, that its members 
voted to present him with a piece of plate, 
valued at seventy-five pounds. In 1750, 
Peter made new plans of the fort and har- 
bor by himself, and it is these drawings, 
preserved in London, that are the only 
known examples of his craftsmanship in 
existence. In all this early work, as in his 
architectural plans, he showed an Old 
World finish that was unique in colonial 
times. 

Both the brothers, after drifting about 
for a number of years, settled in Newport. 
Despite the era of wealth and culture, 
there was little opportunity for them to 
earn a living by their talents, and they 
were forced to become merchants. Their 
advertisement offered “‘a variety of Eu- 
ropean goods, just imported and to be 
Sold at their Store near the wharf of Cap- 
tain John Brown.” This stock certainly 
was varied, for it ranged from “black 
Sagathee” to “oynions.”’ 

Peter Harrison came into a lot of val- 
uable Newport property through his mar- 
riage, and an especially fine section, lo- 
cated on the Neck, was long known as 
Harrison Farm. Here the potential ar- 
chitect turned farmer, becoming an ex- 
pert in agriculture and selling as much as 
one hundred and seventy-five pounds 


worth of produce a year. Harrison Ave- 
nue takes its name from this farm. 

Occasionally Peter Harrison made 
trading voyages and always kept well in- 
formed on maritime matters. He received 
the ambiguous title of “Captain” and en- 
joyed somewhat of a reputation as an au- 
thority on shipbuilding. He records, in one 
of his diaries, that he even “sought out 
Leviathan” in his “‘whale Sloope, Jenkins, 
master.’ When difficulties arose in con- 
nection with the operation of the first 
lighthouse at the mouth of Newport Har- 
bor, it was Peter Harrison who corrected 
its faults and put it in good running order. 

Joseph Harrison returned to England 
in 1755 in hopes of bettering his condi- 
tion, but he came back to New England 
twice more, once, in 1760, as Collector 
of Customs at New Haven and again, in 
1764, as Collector at Boston. When he 
left New Haven he prevailed upon the 
authorities to give his position to his 
brother, Peter, and, in 1766, the latter 
became the Collector of Customs for New 
Haven. 

The acceptance of a royal post was a 
fatal move for Peter Harrison to make, 
and it led him indirectly to his death. With 
the advent of the Revolution, the full 
hatred of the people turned upon all 
Crown officers, and Peter Harrison was 
no exception. It is true that he was a 
staunch loyalist, reputed even by his 
friends as being “preéminent for his loyal- 
ty to the King.” His position in New 
Haven became so precarious that he was 
obliged to leave the town for a time until 
the fierce agitation had passed. In his ab- 
sence his house was wantonly looted by an 
unprincipled mob and his beautiful l- 
brary and all of his professional papers 
were destroyed. Such barbarous treat- 
ment probably had much to do with has- 
tening his death, for he died only a few 











60 Old-Time New England 








FROM A PAINTING BY JOHN SMIBERT, OWNED BY SHIPLEY JONES 


, ESQR., NEW YORK CITY. 


fe I Le. lg ptt f atic $e? 
Peay Liege) t/-2r2 ‘ 


days after the Battle of Lexington. 
Peter Harrison’s architectural work 
will be remembered forever, but during 
his life it was only an avocation. His ar- 
tistic activities fall into two periods with 
a gap of ten years between them. He col- 
laborated with his elder brother in the 





c-~—,— 2. 


A. 


a 


wat oe 

designing of Redwood Library in 1748, 
but in reality it was a case where the 
brother started the job, made a mess of it, 
and left it for Peter to finish as best he 
could. The result was not as good as it 
might have been had the latter done the 
work alone. In 1749, he completed his 


«> 





Peter Barrison 61 





best piece of work, King’s Chapel in Bos- 
ton, and then went for a decade before 
designing a new building for Newport, 
the Jewish Synagogue. In the interior of 
this building, Harrison’s genius was dis- 
played to the full. Later in the year he 
finished work on Christ Church in Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts, which was more or 
less of a replica (sic) of King’s Chapel in 
wood, Herein, however, in the organ loft 
itself is without doubt Harrison’s finest 
single specimen of Georgian architecture. 
In 1761, he drew the first sketches for the 
Brick Market House in Newport. He 
modelled the exterior after the English 
market houses of the day. As a classic in 
brick, it is probably unrivalled in the en- 
tire country, and the exterior shows Har- 


rison at his best. Just prior to his death he 
was consulted concerning the construc- 
tion of a first hall for Dartmouth College, 
but he died before he had had a chance to 
develop any plans. 

All of Peter Harrison’s architecture re- 
mains as a monument to him today, al- 
though much of it has been sadly misused. 
In many cases, however, buildings are 
now being restored to their original con- 
dition, and will be kept as_ historical 
shrines for the future. Even in this day 
he is recognized as a “masterly architect,” 
and he has had a profound influence on 
architectural art in America. A Rhode Is- 
lander by adoption, he has left treasures 
of Colonial architecture which have never 
been surpassed. 


John Smibert, Artist, and the First Faneuil Ball 


By Frank C. Brown 


JOHN SMIBERT was born in Edinborough, 
Scotland in 1688 (or 1684). He studied 
in Italy and established himself as a 
painter of portraits in Edinborough and 
in London. While in Italy, in 1717, he 
met George Berkeley, then Chaplain and 
Secretary in the British Legation, later to 
become Dean of Derry and Bishop of 
Cloyne. When Dean Berkeley sailed from 
Gravesend in the fall of 1728, for New- 
port, Rhode Island, on his way to es- 
tablish a “Christian College” in Bermuda, 
Smibert was one of several gentlemen 
who accompanied him. When Berkeley 
decided to remain on Newport Island, and 
built his home, ““Whitehall,” in 1729, in 
Middletown, Smibert came on to Boston 
and set up a Studio in Cornhill, where he 
practiced as a teacher and painter of por- 
traits until his death in 1751. 

His best known portraits today are per- 
haps those of Jonathan Edwards, and a 


group of Berkeley’s family, with the art- 
ist himself, owned by Yale College. A re- 
production of his portrait of Peter Harri- 
son accompanies this brief summary. 

Smibert married Mary Williams, a 
daughter of Nathaniel Williams, Jr., in 
1730. In The Crooked and Narrow Streets 
of Boston (Annie H. Thwing) it is stated 
that “the estate on the east corner of 
Brattle Street was the original possession 
of Joshua Scottow, but was acquired by 
Nathaniel Williams (Sr.)—in 1661— 
Nathaniel Williams, Jr., possessed it a 
little later, and he deeded it in 1742 to his 
daughter, Mary, the wife of John Smi- 
bert, the painter. ‘hey had lived here 
previously, for he advertised paints for 
sale here in 1734.” It is also stated that 
his studio was later occupied by the his- 
torical painter John ‘Trumbull and other 
artists. 

So far as is known, the only building for 








62 Old-Time Rew €ngland 





























Che First Faneuil Ball 
COMPLETED 1742, JOHN SMIBERT, ARCHITECT. REPRODUCED FROM AN ENGRAVING 
IN THE MASSACHUSETTS MAGAZINE OF 1 789. 


which Smibert ever drew any plans was 
the first Faneuil Hall, which was a 
smaller and lower structure than the 
building of today. It was designed after 
the manner then still common in Eng- 
land, with the lower story arches open to 
the space inside, which was used by the 
growers of farm stock for exhibiting and 
selling their produce on market days,— 
and otherwise for business purposes at 
other times. The floor above provided a 
meeting room for the townspeople, along 
with a couple of offices for town business. 
The Board of Selectmen, of which Bul- 
finch was Chairman for nearly thirty 
years, had its headquarters in this build- 
ing. 

It was Peter Faneuil, a wealthy mer- 
chant, who proposed to build, at his own 
expense, a Market House, and present it 
to the town, on condition that the town 
should “legally authorize, regulate and 
maintain it.” It was to be located on public 
ground, in Dock Square, which had re- 


cently been made by filling in the old 
‘Town Dock. 

The building was completed in Sep- 
tember, 1742 and Samuel Ruggles was 
the builder. Originally only intended to be 
one story high, Mr. Faneuil, with char- 
acteristic generosity, added a second story 
to provide a place for Town meetings, in- 
tended to accommodate one thousand 
persons. An old engraving, reproduced 
from the Massachusetts Magazine for 
1789, shows the original Faneuil Hall, 
one hundred feet long by forty feet wide, 
as it was first built, two stories high. The 
whole interior was destroyed by fire on 
January 13, 1761, leaving only the ex- 
terior walls standing. In the rebuilding, 
the town was aided by the State, which 
authorized a lottery for that purpose. 

Most of the historic events associated 
with Faneuil Hall occurred in this origi- 
nal structure, including all those con- 
nected with the Revolution, its use by the 
British for theatricals, the entertainments 





a- 


| 
' 
| 








a- 














John Smibert 62 





to Count D’Estaing and to Lafayette, up 
to 1805, when it was enlarged to its pres- 
ent dimensions and the third story and 
large attic were added, under the direc- 
tion of Charles Bulfinch, then Chairman 
of the Selectmen. 

The original portion of the structure 
was that along its northern side, for two 
stories of its height and about half the 
width of the two ends. ‘The upper twenty 
or more feet, including the entire south- 
ern half of the structure’s length, were 
added in this rebuilding. ‘The original 
cupola and belfry—including the famed 
grasshopper vane—, located at the center 
of the first building, were replaced on the 
enlarged structure, but then located at its 
eastern end, which originally had fronted 
upon the Harbor. 

A description of this rebuilding, along 
with a brief history of the structure, exists 
in what is believed to be the handwriting 
of Mr. Bulfinch, along with a set of his 
drawings of the building. These plans 
were known to have been presented by 
Bulfinch to the City, through its then 
Mayor, Samuel A. Elliot, in 1839,—but 
had been lost sight of for many years. 
They came to light about thirty-five years 
ago, when a small one-story brick struc- 
ture back of City Hall, employed by the 
City departments for storage of docu- 
ments, was being emptied. It fortunately 
happened that an inquiry was then being 
made for existing records of Faneuil Hall 
at just the time that the contents of this 
building were being removed, so that it 
might be razed to provide additional area 
for the completion of the Kimball Build- 
ing. 

The search for existing plans of Faneuil 
Hall was occasioned by an edict from the 
Building Department demanding that 
more exit facilities be provided, both from 
the Hall itself, and the large attic above it, 


which had long been used as an ““Armory”’ 
by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery 
Company. The Building Department had 
expected to have installed the usual stock 
iron balconies and fire escapes upon the ex- 
terior of the building. ‘To prevent this dis- 
figurement, the Boston Society of Archi- 
tects proposed an alternative method, 
providing the required facilities within the 
structure, without affecting the Hall it- 
self, or appearing on the exterior of the 
building. 

‘To this end, a Committee was appoint- 
ed to develop and present this idea to the 
authorities, and it was the Chairman of 
this Committee, in the course of his search 
for existing plans of the building, who hap- 
pened to note and recognize these old 
drawings,—just as they were being 
bundled out of the storage vault into a 
waiting truck outside! By their aid, the 
better solution was drawn up, urged, and 
finally accepted,—later becoming incor- 
porated into the more extensive improve- 
ments required in rebuilding, strengthen- 
ing, and completely fireproofing the 
lower stories of the structure. 

After these alterations had been com- 
pleted, preparations to return the bor- 
rowed plans to the City were started,— 
but once the historic value and true im- 
port of the rescued drawings had been 
recognized, a question arose as to their 
future safety and preservation, when re- 
turned to the City. Finally, Mr. Milton 
E. Lord, the Director of the Boston Pub- 
lic Library, agreed to accept both the Bul- 
finch drawings and the accompanying 
manuscript,—and the Boston Society of 
Architects turned them over to the Li- 
brary as the safest Municipal depository 
available for such historic documents, and 
there they now are, reposing among 
many other valuable objects, in the Li- 
brary’s ““Treasure Room!” 





Report of the Librarian 


the late CAprain THomas G. FRoTHINGHAM 


March 1, 1944 to March 1, 1945 


‘T is with regret that we record a great loss 

to the Society by the death in March of this 

year of our Librarian, Mr. Thomas G. 
Frothingham, who was in charge of our Li- 
brary for over twenty years, and an active 
member of the Society for twenty-one years. 
During that time, by his interest and constant 
attendance at meetings of the Board, he was of 
great assistance in efficiently forwarding the 
work of the Society. Although im no sense a 
trained librarian, he was always interested in 
library actwittes. 

Asa Trustee of the Society he was of even 


The Society’s fiscal year ended Feb- 
ruary 28, 1945, and in the year preceding 
that date, the collection of material com- 
prising the Library received the usual mis- 
cellaneous groups of gifts, coming from 
its friends and generous supporters. A brief 
summary and comparison of the totals re- 
ceived in the year just ended is printed be- 
low for the members, but it appears that 
the time has come when the problem of 
properly arranging and cataloguing the 
mass of important material already in our 
possession must be squarely faced, so that 
it may become of more v: alue and use both 
to members and research workers. 

For this we need two things: more 
space for the arrangement of the material, 
and the skilled workers needed properly 
to catalogue and arrange it. Incidently, of 
course, a rather complex treatment of 
bookcases, shelves, cupboards, and glass 
cases may be required properly to group 
and classify this material, because of its 
unusual variety in form, and the resulting 
need of a fluid and adaptable system of 
grouping and classification. 


storage, 


64 


greater servue. Io the problems constantly 
facmg it, he brought a mature and carefully 
thought out judgment, with the result that on 
accaston his one vote often decided the action of 
the Society ,— and always along lines that later 
pra ed to have been the wisest. 

As we miss this year Captain Frothing- 
ham’s own hand in finishing his report ; it has, 
at the request of the Board, been analyzed and 
completed for publiation by the Editor of the 
Society’s Quarterly magazine, Mr. a 
Chouteau Brown, assisted by Miss C. N. 
Crandall. 


Of course, neither need can be met 
without a special fund being made avail- 
able for the extension of the present space 
at headquarters, or some other means de- 
vised for increasing its size and capacity. 
As things now stand, this seems to mean 
the acquisition of a larger property area, 
immediately adjacent to the present office, 
and then the money necessary to alter and 
rebuild existing structures, and finally to 
equip and construct the needed cases and 
shelving. All of this has to be done, even 
before it is px ssible to lay out or begin to 
sort and classify what has been received, 
which is now stored in boxes, bales, and 
cases, already filled to overflowing, or 
placed in sometimes inadequate or inac- 
cessible locations. 

The-personnel needed to carry on this 
work of arrangement and classification 
must be secured upon a more permanent 
basis than other types of assistance, in or- 
der to make the process of classification 
continuous and consistent from its incep- 
tion to its final completion. Even for a 
considerable staff, this is a matter that can- 





” 





ay 





Librarian's Report 65 





not be undertaken under a three- or four- 
year program. Consequently, the need for 
the accumulation of a considerable fund 
is imperative, before actual work can even 
be started. We have so far been able to 
preserve many ephemeral types of collec- 
tions, as well as structures. Now we need 
the books, photographs, measured draw- 
ings, etc., to make them available to study 
and examination, to display their real 
value and importance,— and with the va- 
riety of types to be shown, there will arise 
many questions deriving from these varie- 
ties, especially relating to their accessible 
storage and easy access for study and 
grouping. 

There should also be devised a case ar- 
rangement that can be interchangeable 
and inter-expansible, to provide for the in- 
crease of different types of collections at 
varying speeds of accession and growth. 
This presents an unusually complex prob- 
lem, and one that will have to be care- 
fully planned and laid out well in advance 
of its being actually undertaken. It is diffi- 
cult to attempt to secure the funds neces- 
sary to finance this additional work, es- 
pecially as it has now become so pressing 
and extensive that a very considerable sum 
is necessary. It is also now apparent that 
the longer this need is ignored, the greater 
the amount that will be required, It has 
been too long set aside. 

The Library received during the year 
just past (from March 1, 1944 through 
February 28, 1945, inclusive ) the follow- 
ing new material: Photographs, 331; post 
cards, 1,893; views, 760; stereographs, 
418; volumes, 51; pamphlets, 617; clip- 
pings, 963; circulars, 146; greeting 
cards, 2,544; manuscripts, 50; and mis- 
cellaneous, 193. A total of 7,966 items, 
which compares favorably with totals of 
previous years. 

Emphasizing the visual side of the Li- 


brary collections for the moment, and 
taking the totals of the first four items 
named, it appears that these sections have 
increased during the past year at about 
twice the rate of the year before (3,402 
items as against 1,614) and at about half 
the rate of the year 1938-1939 (which 
was a “banner year,” with the addition of 
6,708 items under these same four head- 
ings). Last year was particularly strong 
in the line of post card additions, exceed- 
ing the “‘banner year” by 338 (1,893 to 
1,551) in that department; while a much 
smaller number of photographs was added 
this past year (only 331 compared to 
1,550 in 1935-1939). 

The total increase in all the above items 
this year just past, was 3,403 compared to 
1,614 the year before; while if the in- 
creases of the following groupings are 
added: 51 volumes, 617 pamphlets, 146 
circulars, 963 clippings, 2,544 greeting 
cards, and 50 manuscripts, the past year 
total rises to 7,773, and with a miscellane- 
ous item of 193, we arrive at the year’s 
total of 7,966 compared to 7,544 the 
year before. ‘These contributions, when 
added to the collections previously exist- 
ing, attain the following totals for ma- 
terial now in the possession of the Society : 

Photographs, 773/790; post cards, $4,- 
385; views, 87,618; stereographs, 26,- 
438; volumes, 8,409; pamphlets, 29,- 
9375 clippings, 7454373 and miscellane- 
ous, 206,556; making a grand total of 
276,231 “views” alone, of all kinds,—an 
increase of such accessions over the previ- 
ous year of 422,—and a total of all other 
items of 219,339. And these increases 
combine to make the total of items now 
in the Library collection, 595,570 for the 
grand total, as at the end of February. 

While the present files of the Society 
are filled to their full capacity, newly ac- 
quired important material is still fitted in- 








66 Old-Time New England 





to what space is available, while the 
amount required to be placed in storage 
increases from the overflow. 

Many members of the Society have 
been very helpful in forwarding portions 
of the material that have gone into mak- 
ing up these collections, but many others 
do not think of us when they might be 
helpful; especially in cutting from local 
papers the many articles that every year 
note the transfer or destruction, by fire or 
otherwise, of old structures in their locali- 
ties. Often-times these newspaper or 
magazine comments carry pictures of the 
buildings, or some of their details, and 


would be of great help in making the rec- 
ords of the Society more full and com- 
plete. Contributions such as these along 
with pamphlets and books dealing with 
local or general details of the history of 
New England, and its villages and towns; 
its old structures, furniture, manners and 
customs; its records of commerce, indus- 
try, transportation and marine, would 
augment the Society’s Library of refer- 
ence, and help complete its Library ma- 
terial. You are asked to bear this request 
inmind when such material passes through 
your hands,— especially before consigning 
it to waste or local distribution drives! 


Notes and Queries 


Twi.icut. In the late George Francis 
Dow’s The Arts and Crafts in New Eng- 
land, page xxx, it is stated that “Young 
misses were instructed in crewelwork on 
pocket books, in drawing and working of 
twilights, and in making lace and in work- 
ing tent stitch.” In the inventory of the 
estate of a Salem merchant who died in 
1728 there is mention, in the “Great 
Room Chamber” (a bedroom ) of a ““Tea 
Table 20/, a twilight D° 10/,” and in 
another copy this item, the only one on the 
list, is put down as “Twylight Table 
10 Pad 

Can anyone inform me what is meant 
by a “twilight” and a “twilight table’’! 
In Scott’s Woodstock, chap. XV, Mark- 
ham Everard is accomodated with a tem- 
porary bed set up in the “twilight room,” 
which is elsewhere referred to as the “‘par- 
lour.” This inquiry has been received 
from Dr. Harold Bowditch. If any an- 
swering replies are received, we will be 
glad to print them in a later issue of OLD 
‘TIME New ENGLAND. 


In the article about “The First Bos- 
ton Theatre,” published in the issue of 
last June 1945, reference was made to the 
“Boston Library Society,” of which Bul- 
finch was one of the incorporators, hav- 
ing been given one of the rooms over the 
Archway in the Tontine Crescent. The 
misstatement occurred in adding that 
“that Library has now grown to its pres- 
ent building on Copley Square.” The 
“Boston Library Society” was a private 
association that for many years housed its 
collection on Newbury Street, just below 
Dartmouth, and only in 1939 finally 
merged with the Boston Athenaeum. 

The Newport Daily News has for some 
time issued calendars carrying sketches of 
historie buildings in that town by John 
Howard Benson. The drawing of the 
Newport Synagogue reproduced on page 
57 is from a News calendar of about ten 
years ago. 

As we go to press, we learn that the 
President has just approved the Newport 
Synagogue as a National Historic Site. 





> 


‘ 
7 





a 


*- 


Report of the Director of the Museum 


Mr. ARTHUR W. JOHNSON 


for the year ending February 28; 1945 


ANY valuable gifts were re- 

ceived during the past year. 

These totaled 864, and in- 
cluded a wide variety of material. 

Probably the most noticeable change 
in the Museum during the year has been 
the classifying and rearrangement of all 
the cases containing firearms, military 
costume and equipment, upon the top 
floor. Not only has the appearance of the 
objects been greatly improved, but a 
nearly complete retitling of all the ma- 
terial, including the naming and dating 
of a large number of army rifles and other 
firearms was achieved through the gen- 
erous offices of Captain Walter C. White, 
Jr., just returned from active service. He 
gave several days of his time to this work 
and also presented from his own collec- 
tion a number of pieces which help to 
make this part of the Museum more com- 
plete. As a result, the collection is more 
interesting and appealing to visitors view- 
ing this department, which had been far 
too long neglected. 

Perhaps the largest number of acces- 
sions came within the costume group. 
Among these were a brocade dress of 
1757, and many other articles received 
from Mrs. Charles J. Blaney. A collec- 
tion of dresses and waists, slippers and 
boots, and miscellaneous articles of cos- 
tume dating between 1880 and 1905, 
from Mrs. Lincoln Gardon and Mr. 
Goddard White. An interesting lot of 
bonnets and hats, from about 1860 to 
1880 were given by Mrs. Edward In- 
graham, and two very elaborate dresses 
of 1865-1875, with a beaded velvet hat 
of about 1850 were contributed by Mrs. 


Arthur $. Pease. Many fine dresses, 
shawls, waists, much cotton undercloth- 
ing and miscellaneous wearing apparel of 
1850-1900, with parasols, an alligator- 
skin satchel, and other pieces were given 
by Mrs. Cyrus Murphy. A Shaker cloak 
with hood came from Miss F. Adelaide 
Weeks, and Miss Margaret H. Jewell 
presented a tall kerosene combination 
glass and china lamp, an embroidered 
baby bonnet, some baby dresses and a 
black lace veil. 

In addition to the above, Mrs. Walter 
H. Bradley gave several articles of cos- 
tume and the late Miss Helen Pettes a 
number of pieces of Chinese Lowestoft. 
From Mrs. Olga Monks Pertzoff, John 
Peabody Monks and George Gardner 
Monks was received the largest individ- 
ual lot of Museum material. It included 
several pieces of Canton ware; glass; pot- 
tery; china figurines; water color and oil 
paintings; engravings; iron pots, kettles 
and other old kitchen utensils; much fur- 
niture; fireplace pieces; and a large num- 
ber of other objects of various kinds. Mrs. 
Albert Hildreth gave some old hose of 
about 1834, and a bronze bell from an old 
hand-tub of 1858. From Mr. William 
Sumner Appleton was received a pastel, 
a water color, and an old oil painting, all 
by J. Appleton Brown; an oil painting 
by Samuel L. Gerry; four etchings; sev- 
eral pieces of pottery and other miscel- 
laneous gifts. 

Two loans were received from Mrs. 
A. Clarke Walling; an Aaron Willard 
timepiece and an old portrait of John 
Smith by James Peale. 

Other donors were Mr. Sargent Brad- 

67 








68 Old-Time New England 





lee; Mrs. Charles J. Blaney; Miss Lucy 
M. Brigham; Miss Ruth L. S. Child; 
Dr. Anna Quincy Churchill; the Misses 
Curtis; Miss Mary Frye; the Estate of 
Miss Mary H. Hinckley; Miss Priscilla 
Jewett; Miss Helen M. Kelsey; Miss 


Catherine Leach; Miss M. P. Lord; Miss 


Alice B. Lovett; Mrs. Henry W. Mon- 
tague; Miss Ruth Presbrey; Miss Helen 
M. Murdock; Miss Mattie Richardson; 
Miss Ella Newton Rhoades and Miss 
Mary C. Sawyer. 


GAuditor’s Certificate 


Carleton R. Richmond, Esgq., Treasurer 
Society for the Preservation of 
New England Antiquities, 
Boston, Massachusetts. 


Dear Sir :— 

We have made an examination of the 
following financial statements of the So- 
ciety for the Preservation of New Eng- 
land Antiquities :— 


Exhibit A. Balance Sheet, February 28, 
1945. 

Exhibit B. General Income and Ex- 
penses, for the year ended 
February 28, 1945. 

ExhibitC. Real Estate Receipts and 
Disbursements for the year 
ended February 28, 1945. 

Schedule 1. Savings Bank Accounts and 
Investment in Pooled Funds, 
February 28, 1945. 

Schedule 2. Real Estate, February 28, 
1945. 

Schedule 3. Fund Accounts, February 
28, 1945. 

Schedule 4. Mortgages Payable, Febru- 
ary 28, 1945. 

Schedule 5. Analysis of Real Estate op- 
erating Accounts for year 
ended February 28, 1945. 


We traced all recarded cash receipts to 
bank statements as deposits and inspected 
cancelled cheques, vouchers, or other satis- 
factory evidence of payment in support of 
recorded expenditures. Cash balances at 
the close of the year were verified by di- 
rect confirmation by depositories and sav- 
ings accounts and securities were verified 
by inspection of the bank books and certi- 
ficates or by direct correspondence with 
the depository. Mortgages were verified 
by direct correspondence with the mort- 
gagees. Income from investments was 
verified by reference to bond rates and 
published dividend records. 

In our opinion, the attached balance 
sheet and related statements present fair- 
ly the financial condition of the Society at 
February 28, 1945, and its operations for 
the year then ended. 


Yours respectfully, 

BoypEN, YARDLEY & GuAyY 

Certified Public Accountants 
By ARTHUR W. YARDLEY 





» 











Report of the Treasurer 


CARLETON R. RICHMOND 


EXHIBIT A 
BALANCE SHEET 


February 28, 1945 


ASSETS 
Assets of Pooled Funds :— 
Cash uninvested 
Savings Bank Deposits—Schedule 1 
Bonds—Schedule 1 (Market Value 
Mortgage Certificate—Schedule 1 


$82,560.) 





Stocks—Schedule 1 (Market Value $140,038.) 
Assets of Segregated Funds :— 

Cash uninvested 

Savings Bank Deposits—Schedule 1 

Stocks—Schedule 1 (Market Value $13,990.) 


Real Estate—at cost or appraised value at time of acquisition, plus expenditures 


for restoration—Schedule 2 


Assets of General Fund :— 
Cash 


Accounts and Notes Receivable 


LIABILITIES 
Pooled Funds :— 
Endowment Funds—Income for:— 
Real Estate Maintenance 
Other Designated Purposes 
General Purposes 


Temporary Funds—for :-— 
Real Estate Restoration 
Other Designated Purposes 
Total Pooled Funds—Schedule 3 
Less—Cash diverted to General Funds 


Segregated Funds:— 
Mary Thacher Fund 
Derby House Endowment Fund 


Capital Invested in Real Estate:— 
Mortgage Notes Payable—Schedule 4 
Equity of Society 


General Fund— 

Balances in Operating Accounts of Houses—Schedule 5 

Taxes withheld from Employees 

Revolving Loan Fund 

Less—Loans made to Houses 

Mortgage Note Payable—Schedule 4 

Liability for cash advanced by Pooled Funds 
Deficit—Exhibit B 


° In Red. 


$ 789.04 
36,118.70 


$ 3,166.90 
350-45 


$ 7,969.30 
16,828.32 
$0,496.51 

128.33 
121,667.32 


36,907.74 
$282,247.63 
$5,157.85 


$ 13,000.00 


156.31 


$ 31,790.82 


§11,412.12 


$ 44,874.91 
93.86 


2,816.45 

5,000.00 
555157.85 
58,811.61* 


$ 


tN 


27,089.78 


13,156.31 


$43,202.94 


49,131.46 
$832,580.49 


49,131.46 
$8 3 2,580.49 


69 





Old-Time New England 





Income Receipts :— 











EXHIBIT B 
(GENERAL INCOME AND EXPENSES 
for the year ended February 28, 1945 


Income from Invested Funds $ 2,404.56 
Certain Miscellaneous Gifts 46.27 
Dues—Active Members $2,464.65 
Associate Members 2,315.67 4,780.32 
Appeals 4,326.00 
Museum Admissions 479.58 
Sales of Publications, etc. 285.66 $12,322.39 
Expenses: 
Salaries $ »365.21 
Old Time New England $99.24 
Library Expense 14.75 
Telephone 466.73 
Postage 261.37 
Express and Trucking 56.21 
Office Supplies and Expense 792.46 
Annual Meeting 129.34 
Museum Expense 549-75 
Automobile Expense 151.03 
General Administrative 137.06 
Legal and Accounting 690.00 11,513.65 
Deficits in Various House Accounts 2,939.70 
Interest on Otis House Mortgage 956.26 
Excess of other Otis House disbursements over receipts 2,258.41 17,663.02 
Net General Expenditures for the Year §5345.63* 
Deficit at February 29, 1944 53,465.98* 
Deficit at February 28, 1945—-To Exhibit A. $ 58$,811.61* 
* In red. 
EXHIBIT C 
REAL EsratreE RECEIPTs AND DiIsBURSEMENTS 
Receipts Less—Transfers to General 
Income from Invested Expense 
Funds $ 7,111.91 Deficits: various house 
Rents, Premiums, Ad- accounts $ 2,939.70 
missions, etc. 8,916.24 Interest: Otis House mort- 
Gifts and Legacies 14,143.03 gage 956.26 
Sundry Receipts 250.73 $30,421.91 Excess of other Otis House 
Disbursement: "— disbursements over 
Taxes $ 1,675.87 receipts 2,258.41 
Mortgage Interest 2,007.71 $6,154.37 $18,752.79 
Mortgage Principal 1,537.02 Increase in total of balances 
Insurance ¥9SS5-55 in Operating Accounts 
Fuel 1,385.06 of Houses $11,669.12 
Water 436.36 = 
Gas & Electricity $35.68 
Repairs—Labor 7,973.91 
Supplies 698.62 
Miscellaneous 6,833.62 





2 A he Ae Re 

















Report of the Treasurer 





SCHEDULE 1 


SAVINGS BANK ACCOUNTS AND INVESTMENT IN PooLED FUNDs 


February 28, 1945 








7 Savings Bank Accounts 
Boston Five Cents Savings Bank 
Home Savings Bank 
Home Savings Bank 
Institute for Savings—Newburyport 
Massachusetts Savings Bank 
Provident Institute for Savings 
Provident Institute for Savings 
Provident Institute for Savings—Amesbury 
Provident Institute for Savings—Amesbury 
Suffolk Savings Bank 
Suffolk Savings Bank 
Warren Institution for Savings 
4 Bonds :-— 
American Tel. & Tel. Co. 3/56 
Sold $4,100. 7/18/44 
Baltimore & Ohio R. R. 4/44 
Sold $5,000. 8/19/44 
Bell Telephone of Canada s/s7 
Blackstone Valley Gas & Elec. 2), /68 
Called $3,000. 2/27/45 
> Cleveland, Ohio 2'4/ae 
Cleveland Union Terminal 54/72 
Consolidated Edison of N. Y. 3 56 
Copley Square Trust 414/46 
Called $3,000. 2/27/45 
Eastern Gas & Fuel Associates 4/56 
Gatineau Power 234/69 
Lehigh Valley Rwy. of N. Y. 42/50 
Louisiana Ark. R. R. </69 
Purchased 8/4/44 
New England Power Ass’n 5/48 
N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., Conv. 6/48 
N. Y. Steam Corp. 2 /62 
Northern Pacific Rwy. Co. 6/20/47 
Pere Marquette Rwy. Co. 42/80 
Southern Pacific Rwy. 44/69 
Southern Rwy. 6'4,/ «6 


> Purchased 8/4/44 
U. S. Treasury 2) /64-69 
Mortgage Certificate :— 
Conveyancers Title Insurance and 
Mortgage Co. 


| Stocks:— Shares 
American Agricultural Chemical Co. 5 
American Can Co. ¢ 

: American Tel. & Tel. Co. 
American Sugar Refining Co. 2 

. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rwy. 8 

. Allied Chemical & Die Corp. 








Par 


gt 


5,000. 
5,000. 
5,000. 


yA) 


5 si tu 
© 
o 
©) 


vaevue ve Vt 
© 
©) 
2) 


s000. 


000. 
5000. 
s000. 
000. 


+h> 





De posit 


500.00 


1,000.00 
1,514.31 
4,734.68 


995-41 
261.52 
500.00 
544.06 


5082.37 


394.96 


,000.00 
3,000.00 





ae 4 


$28.22 





Bo 0 k 


.0O0 


.0O0 
.60 


.0O 
34 


- 


se 7 
“33 


+f> 


Mar ket 


<,600.00 


3,200.00 


Value —— 





Market 


1,479.00 


4,650.00 
9,617.00 


1,250.00 


6,640.00 


1,640.00 





Income 


Received 


10.00 
15.00 
26.91 
116.18 
14.76 
2.61 
10.00 
12.04 
90.33 
5.86 
15.00 
15.00 


> 
$3233.69 


Income 
Re Ce IZ é d 
$1038.99 


100.00 


250.00 
111.7! 


125.00 
275.00 
175.00 

26.82 


200.00 
187.50 
225.00 
100.00 


500.00 
300.00 


Income 


Receive d 


102.00 
150.00 
$31.00 
75.00 
480.00 
60.00 





72 Old-Time New England 





70 33/600 


Stocks :—continued Shares 
Boston Edison Co. 140 
Consolidated Edison of N. Y. 35 
Commonwealth Edison Co. 100 
Consolidated Natural Gas 10 
Christiana Securities 2 
Corn Products Refining Co. 30 
Draper Corp. 109 
Electric Bond & Share 
General Electric 416 
General Motors 100 
Ludlow Manufacturing & Sales Co. 28 
Miscellaneous Securities 
Mission Corporation 5 
New England Tel. & Tel. 100 
N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. 50 
Pennsylvania R. R. 100 
J. C. Penney Co. 30 
Radio Corp. 69% 
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco “B” 100 
Sears, Roebuck & Co. 50 
Springfield Gas Light Co. 62 
Standard Oil of California 100 
Standard Oil of N. J. 105 
Union Carbide & Carbon Co. 100 
United Fruit Co. 30 
U. S. Steel, 7% Preferred 35 
Western Union 10 
F. W. Woolworth Co. 100 


—— Value —~ 


Book 
7,801.65 
4243-7 
2543-81 
266.25 
5,370.00 
1,665.00 
6,196.50 
4,401.06 
4,633.20 
6,417.70 
3,297.00 
1.00 
oO. 
10,806.62 
4,503.75 


2,400.20. 


2,910.00 
oO. 
4,602.50 
4,364.70 
2,495. 
4,840. 
3,462. 
4,015.0 
2,021. 
3,929. 
202. 
4,415.20 
$121,667.32 


Nu NM UV 
NOoOM 


vu OWN 
Owwm O 


Market 


5,600.00 
945-00 
2,900.00 
360.00 
5,300.00 
1,890.00 


8,175.00 
770.00 
17,472.00 
6,700.00 
3,640.00 


oO. 


145.00 
11,500.00 


oO. 


3,600.00 
3,270.00 
$28.00 


4,300.00 
$140,038.00 


Income 
Re ceived 
230.00 
56.00 


oe 
° 


= Ww V1 

no 

00+ ° 
} 


BOSON RO KON 
o 


Oo WN 
oO vl 


m hy +t 
~ VV ] 
oOo O° 


Nw 
Onnodwood 
0060 


Now KN 
On OW’; WN O 
0 OWN 

oO O 


° 


Ne Ww NWN WN 
° 
vi 1 


+ oO 


$6,289.15 


SAVINGS BANK ACCOUNTS AND INVESTMENT OF SEGREGATED FUNDs 


Derby House Endowment Fund:— Shares 
Salem Five Cents Savings Bank 

Mary Thacher Endowment Fund :— 
Corn Products Refining Co. 70 
Eastman Kodak Co. 10 
International Harvester Co. 30 
Texas Company 100 


Book 
$ 156.31 


Market 
$ 156.31 


4,410.00 
1,780.00 
2,400.00 
5,400.00 
$ 13,990.00 


SUMMARY OF INVESTMENTS AND INVESTMENT INCOME 


Pooled Funds :— 
Savings Bank Accounts 
Bonds 
Mortgage Certificate 
Stocks 

Segregated Funds :— 
Savings Bank Accounts 
Stocks 

Elizabeth Tappan Trust 

Total 


Disposition of Income:— 
To General Income—Exhibit B. 
To Real Estate Income—Exhibit C. 
To Principal of Funds 


$ 16,828.22 
I 


80,496.5 


$ 16,828.32 
$2,560.00 
oO. 


140,038.00 


156.31 
13,990.00 
oO. 


$253,572.63 


I nicole 
Received 
> 


S$ 3.34 


a 


oo 
1 

° 

ie) 


0OW 
o O° 


sn 
° 


tv 
iw © 
£009 


7% 
+r 
°o 


F 
) 
rs 
2) 
40 
Fr 
Cy 











ae I te 














Report of the Treasurer 








Peter 


ee 








Pooled Funds: 
Endowment Funds 
Estate Maintenance :— 
Eleazer Arnold House 
Browne House 
Chaplin-Clarke House 
Tristram Coffin House 
Helen Collomore 
Cooper-Frost-Austin 
Crocker Tavern 
Emerson House 
Fowler House 
Friends ‘Tower Hill 
Frost Cemetery 

Jew ett House 

Jacobs Estate 

Indian Hill 

Life Membership 
Rebecca Nurse House 
Mawdsley-Gardner- 
Watson-Pitman 
Otis House 
Peabody-Smith Cemetery 
Quincy Memorial 
Josiah Quincy House 
Rocky Hill Meeting 


House 


Ellen H. Ross Fund 
Royce House 


“Scotch” Boardman 


House 


Merrell’s Tavern 
Samuel Stetson House 
Swett-Ilsley House 
Thacher & Winslow 


Crocker 


not yet allocated 


Endowment Funds 








Tufts House 
Woodbridge House 





Income to be used for Real 


3,136.18 

4.76 
2,430.13 
8,396.61 
5,000.00 
5,040.90 


9,497.40 


2,341.63 
3,630.73 
951.09 


17,679.5 
20,000.00 


§00.00 


38,221.78 
4,745.69 


200.00 
5,622.90 
6,095.62 


17,2 


/ 9249-27 
65.00 


8,699.89 
5,000.00 
3,917.46 


3,198.45 
3,015.69 
4,849.23 
1,099.19 


30,876.97 


1,002.47 
1,698.24 


$214,745.69 
Gains on Sales of Securities 


721. 


5 


4t 


Income to be used 
for other Designated Purposes: 
Library Endowment Fund $ 
Elizabeth E. Dana—Li- 
rary Endowment Fund 





102.10 


216.06 


Museum Endowment Fund 1,730.44 


C. I. Thayer-Museum 


Fund 


used for General Purposes: 
Liberty Loan—Office 
Endowment 


Annie E. Nurse End. 


Gains on Sales of Securities 
not yet allocated 


$10.54 
2,559.14 


Gains on Sales of Securities not 
yet allocated 


12.68 


Endowment Funds—Income to be 





SCHEDULE ; 
Funp ACCOUNTs 


Estate 
“Scotch” 
House 


Shirley Eustis House 
Whitfield House 


Temporary Funds 
Designated Purposes: 
Appeal of October 10, 


1934 


Appeal of August 20, 


1935 


Arch. Photog. 
Arch. Mus.—Watertown 
Asher Benjamin Drawings 
Bigelow Publication 
Bridge Bequest 

Charles Bulfinch 

Browne House 

Claflin Estate 

Coombs House Purchase 
Cooper-Austin Mort. 
Derby House Mortgage 
Catherine Faucon 


Expense 


General Emergency 

Abbie W. Hunt Bequest 
Jackson House Chimney 
Helen F. Kimball Emerg. 
Grace H. Kimball Fund 
Lawrence Park Memorial 
Lear House Purchase 
Special Funds—Mus. Cases 
New Hampshire 

Otis House Mortgage 
Portsmouth Fund 
Publication Endowment 
Quincy Mem., Current 
Royce House Chimney 
Ellen H. Ross Fund 

E. Q. Sylvester Bequest 
Various Gifts 

Vermont Fund 

Waring Stencils 
Washington Exhibition 
George N. Whipple Be- 


quest 


Annie L. Wood Fund 
Appeal of July, 1944 
Appeal of Jan., 1945 














Temporary Funds—To be used for Real 


Gains on Sales of Securities 
not yet allocated 


2.32 


To be used for other 


500.66 


tu tN Nu 
Ne = 


o 


— 
Ow 
WwnNnNI VN Aw ViVi 
oF ON ONIN 
$ Os 
Ne 


m Us 
~ A 
ONW 


NuU™ 
‘ ~~ ‘ 
Nw 


CON 
“J Ww ws © 
oO 


nN > 


300.32 
1,404.06 
4,473-01 
1,129.44 
1,102.08 
1,000.00 

345-50 


274.70 


5,169.00 
292.10 
326.58 

1,818.70 


$36,012.27 


Gains on Sales of Securities 


not yet allocated 


789.04 


106.43 $ 36,118.70 
Total Pooled Funds—To Exh. A. 


$282,247.63 





Old-Time New England 





Property (Houses ) 
Eleazer Arnold 


Abraham Browne 


Cooper-Austin 
Cooper-Austin 
Samuel Fowler 


Harrison Gray Otis 


Swett-Ilsley 
Mawdsley-Pitman 


Josiah Quincy 


Alexander House 
Arnold House 
“Beauport” 
Bennett House 
Browne House 


SCHEDULE 4 


MortTGAGEs PAYABLE 


February 28, 1945 


Location 


Lincoln, R. I. 


562 Main St. 
Watertown, Mass. 


21 Linnaean St. 


Cambridge, Mass. 


23 Linnaean St. 
Cambridge, Mass. 
166 High St. 
Danversport, Mass. 
141 Cambridge St. 
Boston, Mass. 


4-6 High Rd. 
Newbury, Mass. 
Spring St. 
Newport, R. I. 
20 Muirhead St. 
Wollaston, Mass. 


Mortgagee 
Herbert R. Mathewson 
188 Main St. 
Pawtucket, R. I. 
Miss Catherine Brandley 
775 Parker St. 
Roxbury, Mass. 
State Street Trust Co. 
Boston, Mass. 
State Street Trust Co. 
Boston, Mass. 
Danvers Savings Bank 
Danvers, Mass. 
Mass. Savings Bank 
50 Congress St. 
Boston Mass. 
Institution for Savings 
Newburyport, Mass. 
Savings Bank of Newport 
Newport, R. I. 
Home Owners Loan Corp. 
2 Park Ave., New York, N. Y. 
Total—To Exh. A. 


SCHEDULE ; 


BALANCES IN OPERATING ACCOUNTS 


oF HouskEs 


February 28, 1945 


$ 458.97 
419.58 
8,381.72 
428.61 


Chaplin-Clarke House 
Coffin House 
Colton House 
Cooper-Frost- 

Austin House 
Crocker Tavern 
Emerson-Howard House 
Reginald Foster House 
Fowler House 
Frost Cemetery 
Howland House 
Indian Hill 
Jacobs House 
Jackson House 
Jew ett House 
Laws House 
Marrett House 
Mawdsley-Gardner-Watson- 

Pitman House 


610.14 
1,289.71 
1,122.75 
1,126.10 
1,619.27 


227.62 


461.48 
$61.40 
2,741.98 
1,158.60 


Co 


5 
I 


8 
9 


~ Ww 


5 
6 


oO 


178.69 


Merriam House 

Morrison House 

Nurse House 

Otis House 

Pepperrell House 

Peabody Smith Cemeteries 

Josiah Quincy House 

Quincy Memorial 

Rocky Hill Meeting House 

Royce House 

“Scotch” Boardman House 

Short House 

Spaulding Grist Mill 

Squash House 

Samuel Stetson House 

Spalding House 

Swett-Ilsley House 

Thacher & Winslow 
Crocker Houses 

Peter Tufts House 

Whipple House 

Woodbridge House 


Rate of 
Interest 


07 
6/0 


1,323.90 
1,243.09 


Balance of 
Principal 
$ 1,120.46 


3,100.00 


2,000.00 
2,000.00 
1,900.00 


18,500.00 


1,175.00 
3,500.00 
3495.36 


$36,790.82 


$44,874.91 








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SPECIAL NOTICE 





“BLEAKHOUSE,” about 1770, at Peterborough, New Hampshire, open as a 
Guest House, is a delightful haven at any season of the year. Pleasant atmos- 


phere, comfortable rooms, and delicious home cooking. Fine view of Mount 
Monadnock. Guests by the week, month or season. Under the competent 
management of Mrs. Walter S. Bingham. Telephone Peterborough, New 


Hampshire, 426. 


Tue Swetr-Its_tey House, before 1670, 4 High Road, Newbury, Massa- 


chusetts, at the Newburyport line. Its huge fireplace adds to the charm of the 


interesting interior and makes an attractive setting for the tea room under the 


capable management of Miss Lilian J. Franklin. ‘Telephone, Newburyport 


1540. Lunches and dinners by appointment. Opening March 19, 1946. 








Du PonT AMERICANA 
To Be On View 


Several rooms in the residence of Mr. 
Henry F. du Pont at Winterthur, Dela- 
ware, will be open to the public the 
frst Tuesday and the following two days 
of each month, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. 

Admission will be free, but the name 
and address of all persons desiring to 
visit the exhibition will have to be given 
when applying for cards of admission by 
writing to the ofhce of Mr. Henry F. 
du Pont, Room 1070, Du Pont Building, 
Wilmington. Please specify the date for 
which card is requested. Groups will 
be limited to four persons. 

The exhibitions will be under the 
management of the Winterthur Cor- 
poration, Beverley R. Robinson, Presi- 
dent, 15 Broad Street, New York City. 
This is a corporation organized under 
the laws of Delaware for charitable and 
educational purposes. 


WINTERTHUR CORPORATION 


WE BUY & SELL 


RARE AMERICANA 


LD PRINTS and Paintings of American 

Towns, Ships, and Character. 9 American 
Maps. 4 Books relating to the Discovery, Explora- 
tion, and Growth of America. § American Gene- 
alogy and Local History. 4 Books on the Arts and 
Crafts, including Reference Works for Collectors. 
q First Editions of American and English Authors. 


GOODSPEED’S BOOK SHOP 


18 Beacon Street, Boston 








COOLEY ’S Inc. 


Established 1860 


REPAIRING - RESTORING 
REPRODUCTIONS 


CHINA - GLASS - SILVER 
GIFTS 


34 Newbury Street 


KEN. 3827 Boston 


























OLD PAINTINGS and PRINTS 
FAMILY PORTRAITS 


Restored—Cleaned— Framed 


Appraisals for Insurance and Inheritance 


CHARLES D. CHILDS 


Please Notice Change of Address — we are now at 
169 Newbury Street Boston 16, Mass. 


Our telephone remains the same, COMmonwealth 1108 








Wanted ! 





Kite our 


Jocismuming. CUstness 15 Copies of 
ne aso 7Tepar and Sraqiten Old-Time New Cngland 
Y damnagd, norn aid bert porter : 


¢ Lon are wvtted to tistl ovr weorlk- for January » 1924 
shohs and ste tts rrorking a6 
Paul Severe and ctticr noted Boston 
slyersiniths uscd to make ther 
ptcces 
for complete copies of 
GEBELE I N the above issue, 
Ho als CONTt/ old aia wuisual ® if in good condition. 
picces tn pewter as wellasstlyen Z 
79 Chestnut Street & 
foot of Beacon Hill 


Serial No. 35 


Fifty cents apiece will be paid 














Mail in to the 
Society for. the Preservation of 
New England Antiquities 
141 Cambridge Street, 
Boston 14, Mass. 


























LULRGRGRAARSRRTORRRURANE itt °Y 
seu sese ee tee® 


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Fi ids 
*i Pha, 


“SRhca,. POT ee Sree nad 
> 


a 
"OCR eens asses ee aws 


Lowestoft Punch Bowl 


Circa 1800. Mauve and gold background decorated with 
hgures in enamel colours. Inside of bowl, spray of rose, 
mauve and yellow flowers. Height, 6'2 inches. Diameter, 
16 inches. Carved teakwood base 3 inches in height. 
Priced at $500. 


Offered subject to prior sale 


Shreve 


CRUMP & LOW COMPANY 


ESTABLISHED 1800 
, : Cf: ‘ 
Anliguarians, frvelers Gold and e Sil vsmilby 


BOYLSTON AT ARLINGTON STREET, BOSTON 




















The Aims of 
Che Society for the Preservation of 
New England Antiquities 


The Society was organized in 1910 for the purpose of preserving for future 
generations the rapidly disappearing architectural monuments of New England 
and the smaller antiquities connected with its people. 

In pursuit of this objective it has acquired and maintains thirty-nine old 
houses, a grist mill and cooperage shop, a McIntire-designed barn, a picturesque 
old fish shed, two graveyards, and a meeting-house. In addition it administers a 
family graveyard through ownership of an endowment fund. 

The smaller antiquities in scores of thousands are brought together in its Mu- 
seum of New England Antiquities, and placed on exhibition in its series of 
period museum houses. 

The Library specializes on museum and preservation work, and houses its 
collection of pictorial material, photographs, stereographs, picture postal cards, 
clippings, etc. 

The Museum and Library are at its headquarters, connected with the Harri- 
son Gray Otis House, built in 1795, at 141 Cambridge Street, Boston. 

Its endowment funds and real estate represents investments of $818,146.65. 

It publishes OLp-TimeE NEw ENGLAND, a quarterly illustrated magazine 
devoted to the ancient buildings, household furnishings, domestic arts, man- 
ners and customs and minor antiquities of the New England people. Subscrip- 
tion to this magazine is included in the annual membership fee. 

Membership: Life ($100); Active ($6); Associate ($3) may not vote nor 
hold office. 

Checks should be made payable to CARLETON R. RICHMOND, Treasurer, 
141 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts. 





BEQUEST FORM 


I Give, Devise and Bequeath to 


THE SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF NEW ENGLAND ANTIQUITIES 
A CORPORATION DULY INCORPORATED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 


AND LOCATED IN BosTON, IN SAID COMMONWEALTH, 


Nore — Bequests may be made in real estate, money, or any objects re- 
lating to New England having historical, antiquarian, or artistic interest.
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